Space heaters can provide extra comfort during the winter season. Following are some basic tips* that will help ensure their safe use.

Do's:

For heating purposes, use only equipment that is made for home heating. Use all types of heaters carefully and follow all directions for safe use.

Use a space heater that has been tested to the latest safety standards and has been certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory. These heaters have the most up-to-date safety features. Older space heaters may not meet newer safety standards. Always follow the manufacturer’s directions for proper use.

Place the heater on a level, hard, nonflammable surface, such as a ceramic tile floor.

Keep the heater at least three feet away from bedding, drapes, furniture, and other flammable materials.

Keep children and pets away from space heaters.

Turn the heater off if you leave the area.

Don'ts:

Never leave a space heater on when you go to sleep.

Don’t place a space heater close to any sleeping person.

Never use gasoline in a kerosene space heater, as even small amounts of gasoline mixed with kerosene can increase the risk of fire.

Don’t use portable propane space heaters indoors or in any confined space unless they are specifically designed for indoor use.

Never use your oven, grill or clothes dryer to heat your home. This could cause a fire or dangerous carbon monoxide gas.

Portable heaters and burning candles that are left unattended, especially around children and pets, can create a fire hazard. In addition, gasoline- or diesel-powered generators and appliances can produce deadly levels of carbon monoxide and should never be operated inside the home or garage.

Also, be sure to place smoke alarms on every level of your home, outside of sleeping areas and inside each bedroom. Guard against carbon monoxide (CO) poisonings as well by installing carbon monoxide alarms in your home. Make sure that your batteries in all alarms are fresh and working.

Using extension cords to bring electricity into a location where electric service was shut off may create a fire hazard. If this situation is detected, the Local Codes Enforcement Officer will be notified.

*This includes information from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The Manalapan MRC-CERT will begin a new 20 hour training program starting on Tuesday, January 16, 2018 at 7:00 pm in this room in Manalapan Town Hall. Training will continue once per week on different weeknights into April. Participants will learn about basic emergency preparedness for themselves and their families and participants will also learn how they can become part of the MRC-CERT team and help the community in various emergency situations. Registration in advance is requested. Please register by calling the Health Department at 732-446-8345 or by emailing health@mtnj.org.

In January 2018, the Manalapan-Englishtown Community Alliance to Prevent Alcoholism and Drug Abuse launched its Project ZERO website. Project ZERO is the Community Alliance’s initiative to re-set the narrative in our communities regarding substance abuse. The Community Alliance wants the expectation of the various ways to measure substance abuse to start at ZERO. For example, two goals of Project ZERO are – The number of lives impacted by substance abuse should be ZERO; the number of school suspensions due to substance abuse should be ZERO. There are many more goals – all available for viewing at this new website.

The website also contains information on resources, both informational about certain drugs and where residents can go for help. Lastly, the website is the source to find the events and activities of the Alliance, including its meetings, community presentations, its 5K Fun Run and the Car Show.

February is NATIONAL TEEN DATING VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH
More than 1 in 10 teens who have been on a date have also been physically abused by a boyfriend or a girlfriend in the last year. Unhealthy relationships can start early and last a lifetime. Teens often think some behaviors, like teasing and name calling, are a “normal” part of a relationship. However, these behaviors can become abusive and develop into more serious forms of violence. Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month is a national effort to raise awareness and protect teens from violence.
How are Public Health Authorities make a Difference?
• Using this month to raise awareness about teen dating violence and take action toward a solution for both home and in the local communities.
What is Dating Violence?
Teen dating violence is defined as the physical, sexual, pyschological, or emotional violence within a dating relationship, including stalking. It can also occur in person or electronically and might occur between a current or former dating partner. Here are different words describing teen dating violence:
• Relationship abuse
• Intimate partner violence
• Relationship violence
• Dating abuse
• Domestic abyse
• Domestic violence
What are the consequences of dating violence?
As teens develop emotionally, they are heavily influenced by experiences in their relationships. Healthy relationship behaviors can have a positive effect on a teen’s emotional development. Unhealthy, abusive, or violent relationships can have severe consequences and short- and long-term negative effects on a developing teen. They make experience the following;
• Symptoms of depression or anxiety
• Thoughts about suicide
• Engagement of unhealthy behaviors such as drug use or alcohol
Make a Difference!
• Be a role model- treat your kids with respect and others
• Start talking to your kids at an early age about healthy relationships
• Get involved with efforts to prevent dating violence at your teen’s school
For more information contact the Manalapan Township Health Department:
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Location: Manalapan Town Hall 120 Route 522 & Taylors Mills Road, Manalapan, NJ 07726
Phone: (732) 446-8345 Fax: (732) 446-1576

February is AMERICAN HEART MONTH
What’s the Number 1 killer in America? Millions of people believe it’s cancer ... or AIDS. They’re wrong!
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) - diseases of the heart and blood vessels - is the Number 1 killer of Americans. Over 80 million people have some form of CVD, including high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.
More than 2,300 Americans die of CVD each day ... that’s an average of one death every 34 seconds. Many of these deaths, as well as chronic health problems due to CVD, are preventable. “Some risk factors such as age, race, sex, and family or personal medical history are uncontrollable,” stated W. David Richardson, Health Officer for the Manalapan Health Department. “Other risk factors can be eliminated, or at least controlled, through healthy lifestyle choices.”

STOP SMOKING. As the single greatest preventable cause of death in the United States, smoking is a major risk factor for CVD, cancer, chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

CONTROL HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE (hypertension). High blood pressure is a “silent killer”, often occurring without any noticeable symptoms.

MAINTAIN A HEALTHY WEIGHT: More than 60% of Americans are overweight or obese. Similar to inactivity, being overweight increases your chances of having high
blood cholesterol and triglycerides, lowered HDL, as well as contributing to hypertension and diabetes. In addition, recent studies indicate that how fat is distributed on the body may affect the risk of heart disease: an “apple” shape (excess weight around the waist, or belly area) seems to increase risk more than the “pear” shape (excess weight around the hips, thighs and buttocks).

DIET becomes a risk factor for heart disease when it contributes to high blood cholesterol, a main cause of atherosclerosis, or narrowing of the arteries.

TAKE YOUR MEDICATION: When lifestyle changes aren’t enough to lower your risk of CVD, taking blood pressure or cholesterol-lowering drugs as prescribed (even if you feel healthy) can be an important part of a CVD risk reduction plan.

High school juniors and seniors who live in Manalapan are invited to submit essays about their local government for a chance to win a $1,000 scholarship in the 2018 Louis Bay 2nd Future Municipal Leaders Scholarship Competition.

The scholarship is offered through a joint venture between local mayors and the New Jersey League of Municipalities. The contest is open to any high school junior or senior who lives in Manalapan. Each student must write an approximately 500-word essay on the theme, "What My Municipal Government Does Best.” The essay should be based on the student’s perceptions and experiences with the Manalapan local government. The essay should consider the public contributions of the mayor and governing body.

Mayor Jack McNaboe said “I hope that many of our community’s high school juniors and seniors will take full advantage of the annual Louis Bay 2nd Future Municipal Leaders Scholarship Competition, not only to gain a better understanding of public service through local government, but to also enjoy the opportunity of possibly earning a $1,000 scholarship,”.

All essays must be received by March 16, 2018. Manalapan will select one essay to forward to the League of Municipalities in Trenton as a semi-finalist. The League of Municipalities will then choose fifteen finalists and 3 scholarships winners. Winning essays will be featured in the New Jersey Municipalities magazine.

Applications are available on the Township website at www.mtnj.org and at the Mayor’s office, located at 120 Freehold Road, Manalapan NJ.

As the cold weather continues, financial assistance programs are available for Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) customers who need help with winter heating bills.
Assistance to qualifying JCP&L customers is available through the Lifeline, Universal Service Fund (USF), Weatherization, Payment Assistance for Gas and Electric (PAGE) and New Jersey SHARES programs.

• Lifeline offers a cash grant to help people who meet certain age and disability requirements, or who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI). For additional information call 1-800-792-9745.

• USF helps residential customers maintain electric service by offering eligible customers a monthly bill credit, which is based on household income and energy usage. For more information, call 1-800-510-3102.

• The Weatherization program includes the installation of home energy measures that can help reduce energy bills. Weatherization programs include Comfort Partners, sponsored by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. For additional information visit www.njcleanenergy.com and click on “Residential” or call 1-800-915-8309.

• New Jersey SHARES offers temporary financial assistance to people having difficulty paying their electric bills. The fund helps those who need assistance because of an illness, job loss or other problem that has created a financial crisis, but are not eligible for other income or age-based programs. For additional information call 1-866-657-4273 or visit http://www.njshares.org.

JCP&L residential customers also can manage their electric bills through the FirstEnergy Equal Payment Plan (EPP). With EPP, customers can make consistent monthly payments to avoid seasonal highs and lows in their electric bills. To apply or learn more about other JCP&L programs, visit www.firstenergycorp.com or call 1-800-662-3115.

FirstEnergy is dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company’s transmission subsidiaries operate more than 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at www.firstenergycorp.com. Follow FirstEnergy on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp.
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